Reinforced-concrete dock or pier.



WVS. FERGUSON.

REINFORCED CONCRETE DOCK 0R PIER.

APPLIUATION FILED MMM, 1909. BENEWBD Nov.1. 1912.

Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@OG @O @@Q'OCD @WSW W. s. FERGUSON. RBINPORCBD GONGRBTE DOUK 0R PIER. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 5, 1909. BENBWED NOV. 1, 1912. 1,089,405, Patented Mar. 10, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

.... a ,f rnnvvm I l l l IL Oli u a \M/\/\|AM/4 l l l l llf ,7 ,.w, 7 5 4 w/ W g l 4 H ||J m? .v. L E A a l w l E //W/. l w j/L f llll Mw V ww/J# 1 17 QWMWUHH f N1 .d no

'exact description of the invention, such as WrLLIAia s. rnaenson, or cLnvELaNn, oil-iro, assronoa :ro J, Dfoaanif, or

oiznvnitann, ortie. v

REINFORCED-CONCRETE DOCK OR PEER.

Application filed March 5, 1909, Serial No. 481,527.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 1MP, Eletti.

Renewed November 1912. Serial No. 729,129.

To all 'LU/tom it may conce/n Be it known that l, VVnmiAivi S. FERGU- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have'invented a certain new and useful improvement in Reinforced-Concrete Docks or Piers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and

will enable others skilled in the art to whichv it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to docks or piers formed of reinforced concrete, or in other words, docks formed of concrete having re'- int'orcing metallic elements properly distributed therein, to sustain the 'various strains incident to the weight of the structure, the load to be sustained by said structure, and such strains as it may be necessary to sustain, both by the docking of a boat or vessel, and the mooring of a boat or vessel, at the dock.

The objects of this invention are: First. To build a structure which is economical with respect to the amount of material and labor required. Second. To distribute'the metallic reinforcing elements so as to obtain the reinforcements at proper point for sustaining the several weights and strains incident to such structure. Third. 'llo shape the contour or general structure of concrete, so that the material is positioned and reinforced to insure the maximum strength, while materially reducing the weight, as compared with prior structures, and thereby adapting it to be built upon piling along marshy shores or above semi-submerged or other soft ground. Fourth. To construct a dock or pier, which is supported primarily by piling driven below the water line, and which distributes the weight or shock lover series of said piling. Fifth. To construct a dock or pier having a sub-floor with suitable shore anchorage, and one which carries the weight or portions thereof upon said floor, and transmits the shock or portions thereof through said floor to the shore anchorage. ln consequence, the said structure is one which transfers normal shock or stress below the dock level, and thereby minimizes any tendency toward the displacement of the dock. Finally my object is to construct a concrete dock in which the material is employed to resist compressions, and reinforcingsteel or iron members are used to resist shear and tension strains within said strueture.

rl`he features of my reinforced dock or pier construction, together with further advantages attainable thereby, will be more fully explained, by making reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1, is a cross section of a dock extending closely adjacent to the shore line, which is constructed in accordance with my invention; the same being erected upon series of piling, and provided with a sublioor, so that it may be backed or yfilled in with earth, cindcrs or any suitable material. Fig. 2, is a rear view of a portion thereof shown partly in longitudinal section on the arrow-headed section line, Fig. l; while beneath said section is a plan view of one series of piling supporting the dock. Fig. 3, is a cross sectional view of a modified form of dock, wherein a concrete reinforced wall, floor and sub-floor, are employed; the rear portion being supported by anchorage piers. Fig. 4, is a cross sectional View* of a portion of similar dock or pier construction, einployed for extending the same over indefinite arcas, and at a distance into the water, or over mai-shy ground and the like.

Throughout the several figures of thc drawings, I have employed the same character ot.' reference to indicate similar parts.

Preliminary to constructing the dock or pier of my invention, series of piles or piling p, y), are driven parallel with the shore line, and are cut off below the Water level. These are suitably secured together, as at p p, to form an under-piling for the dock or pier. Additional st( -pilcs s and beams or sheathing s, may albso be driven to form a suitable anchorage for the doek; these later being cut ofi' at the dock level. After constructing the necessary shoring or molds vfor shaping the concrete, which is formed by mixing cement, sand, and broken stone according to Well known formulae, the upper ends of the piles are embedded in the concrete, together with the necessary reinforcement. This reinforcement comprises steel rods, l, 2, of suitable length, which are laid crosswise above, and adjacent to the tops of the piles, and serve with the body of the concrete, to form a continuous base or foundation for the dock.

The type of dock shown in Fig. l, exhibits an l..shaped concrete section, having a reinforced front wall and sub-floor laid upon two series of piling, and braced at suitable intervals, by reinforced concrete wing-walls suitably anchored along the shore line. The front wall is in the form of a huge -beam, with reinforcing rods, as 3, 3. distributed thrfuigh the body thereof. The sub-floor contains reinforcement in the form of tension rods 4, and suspension or shear members 5, contacting or coinciding with the former throughout the central lower portion of the floor, but angularly bent to lie in a plane, adjacent to the upper portion of the floor, in positions above the supporting piling. rFliese members are located at short intervals throughout the length of the iioor, in accordance with the weight which is to be supported thereby. ln order to meet the negative or bending strain, there are pro-A vided rods 5 adjacent to the front wall, within the upper portion of the sub-floor.

Gonnected rearwardly of the stay-piles s, the beams s', and a portion of the sheathing or other suitable anchorage, are the metallic elements 6, 7 and 8, which are embedded within the concrete sub-ioor, and serve to secure the dock firmly in position. At suitable intervals along the major' beam or front wall of the dock, say from 10 to 15 or even 2O feet apart, according to particular requirements, there are provided brackets or webs 6 extending beneath the overhanging portions 11 of the dock, while opposite thereto are provided bracing or wing-walls 7', constructed as shown either in Figs. 1 and 2 or in Figs. 3 and a, which meet the frontrwall 8 and comprise compression members serving to sustain or transfer shock o-r strain below the dock level. Within these walls 7, there are embedded land ties in the form of tension members 9, which extend from the top of wall 8', to the shore anchorage, and may be provided with suitable adjusting means, such as the screw thread and nut 9 shown in Fig, 1. Additional tension members 10 are provided to extend from the overhanging portion 11 of the front Wall to intermediate positions within the bracing walls 7', if excessive Aweights or strains are to be provided for along the outer ortion of the dock. The forward edge o the concrete structure is protected by longitudinal woo-den bumpers 13, which are held in position by metallic rods 12, embedded within and projecting beyond the concrete, approximately to the distance indicated by 6. At; desired intervals, snubbing posts 15, cleats,

or other suitable mooring devices may be provided upon the dock, which vare secured in position by anchor-bolts 14 seated within the bodies of the brackets or webs 6. It will be understood that many of the members specifically Ymentioned in the reinforcing scheme described n connection with the noaaaoe dock invented by me, may be dispensed with, or modied to meet varying conditions of service.

The complete decl; is capable of sustaining extremely heavy weights upon the subfloor 5, -which serve merely to weight or anchor the concrete dock structure upon the series of supporting piling. rlhis weight comprises the filling or backing which may be placed rearwardly of the front wall, and also the weight of apparatus, cargoes, etc., which is supported upon the sub-floor. lt will be understood that the compression or tension strains sustained by the dock shown in Fig. 1, will be transferred diagonally through the bracing walls 7, and primarily through the land ties and tension members 9, 10. rlhe overhanging 'portion 11 of the dock constitutes in eiiect, a second or hori- Zontal reinforced concrete beam adapted to sustain the shocks and strains of docking and mooring vessels thereto, since the tension members 3, 3', are disposed therein approximately at the dock level for resisting such strains.

it will be understood that the structures of Figs. 3 and 4t are but partially shown, and these preferably are provided with a rear or shoreward section such as shown in Fig. 1, which affords the weighted sub-licor and suitable shore anchorage. Referring specifically to Fig. 4, it will be seen, that the reinforcing scheme is simpler, and lighter, than that of Fig. 1, but corresponds to the one already described. rIhe bracing walls 7 are provided with the additional diagonal tension member 7, while the shear and tension members 4, 5, in the sub-floor may be continuous from section to section. The dock floor 10 is of concrete, reinforced by series of rods 10, also extending from section to section. This structure may be extended indefinitely to afford a pier or dock of the desired area, carr1ed upon series of piling and super-posed reinforced concrete foundation above set forth. Fig. 3, illustrates a dock rearwardly supported upon concrete anchor piers a, built into the shore, and provided with the reinforced concrete iioor 10', and t-he sub-floor 5', indicated by dotted lines, and heretofore described. These structures last shown merely carry forward features of my improvement, and do not require extended explanation.

A dock or pier constructed in accordance with my invention, preferably rests upon series of parallel vpiling with the heads of the piles embedded within the body of concrete, so that the structure is practically integral, and .by means of suitable reinforcement, all shock and strains are resisted by the structure and its support, as an en` tirety. The dock structure, comprising as it does in effect, a system of reinforced beams or grders horizontally and vertically positioned, including a reinforced girder floor, affords a structure embodying the maximum strength and durability. Obviously, the floor or sub-floor should be positioned at the appropriate level for trans-l mitting and resisting the shoreward st ain, 5

and securing the structure to the shore, de-

pendent upon local requirements, while the support for the structure may assume any of the forms well known in the art.

It is apparent that with the cmstruction shown, the load will be distributed over the system of piling, sothat the failure of individual piles which may not receive sufficient support from lthe soil wherein they' are driven, will not affect the support of the dock as a whole. Ultimately the shoreward section and its anchorage must be depended upon in structures of this character; hence the importance of the weighted subfloor and the shore anchorage, should not be underestimated. Figs. 1 and 2 illustrate the preferred form assumed by the portion of the dock or pier adjacent to the shore, but it will be understood that I may employ equivalent features for those therein shown and specifically described.

Having now described preferred embodiments of my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, the following, together with such modifications, as may be made by those skilled in the art zl. In a concrete dock, a foundation of upright piles, metallic rods crossing the upper,

vadapted to support the compression strain,

and means inserted in said bracing wall for supporting the tensile strain, substantially as set forth.

2. A concrete dock, comprising a suitably supported base, a plurality of metallic rods embedded in said base and connected to the shore, additional metallic rods embedded in the base adapted to sustain the tensile strain of said base, a wall on said base, means connecting said wall with the shore, and additional means connecting said wall with the base adapted to sustain the compression and tensile strain of said wall, substantially as set forth.

3. In a concrete dock, a foundation of series of piles secured together b v metallic rods crossing the ends of said piles, and a concrete structure substantially L shaped in cross section supported upon said piles, comprising a perpendicular front wall and a horizontally extending base, spaced web portions connecting said front Wall with said base, metallic rods passing through said web portions and anchored at one end to the shore and at the other to said front wall, outwardly projecting-portions on the upper and lower ends of the front wall, and spaced vertical web portions connecting said outwardly projecting portions, substantially as set forth.

il. A concrete dock comprising a base, a front wall integral with said base, an overha nging portion formed on said wall, spaced webbed portions connecting said overhanging portion with the base, metallic rods passing through said overhanging portion and the Webbed portions, metallic rods passing through the front wall and said overhanging portion, and means for Aanchoring said base and wall to the shore, substantially as set forth.

5. ln a dock or pier, the combination with a concrete foundation and sub-floor supported upon series of parallel piling or the like, of a plurality of parallel concrete walls, super-posed respectively upon the series of piling, and integral with the sub-Hoor, concrete web portions extending laterally between said walls and sub-floor and integral therewith, and reinforcing metallic tension members in each of said concrete portions for sustaining the bending and tensile strains therein, substantially as set forth.

6. In a concrete dock, the combination with rows of piles driven substantially to the water level, of metallic reinforcing members, extending across said piles, a concrete wall erected thereon, and embracing said 'reinforcing members within its base, additional reipforcing members embedded adjacent to the upper front and rear portions thereof in approximately a horizontal plane, whereby two rectangular reinforced beams are produced in effect, and a reinforced concrete floor associated therewith for supporting the backing, cargo and other load, substantially as set forth.

7. In a dock or pier of the class described, the combination with a shore section comprising a concrete wall and sub-floor sub` stantially at right angles erected upon a piling support or the like, of integral transverse lbracing walls disposed at intervals between said concrete wall and sub-floor, metallic reinforcing members positioned within the upper and lower portions of said wall, and within and coextensive with said tloor; the sets of reinforcing members being respectively at right angles to each other,

and anchorage members extending diagonally from the upper portion of said wall to a shore connection, substantially as set forth.

S. ln a concrete doek or pier, a shore section conn-)rising an integral concrete wall and sub-floor supported upon series of parallel piling. ofreinforcing members positioned within the base of said wall across the topsl of the piling. additional reinforcing members disposed inthe upper front bers and rear portions of said wall approximately in a horizontal plane, tension and shear members disposed in the sub-floor, bracing means positioned between the Wall and sub-floor, whereby shock or stress is transferred below the dock level, and shore anchorage means connected at interi/als adjacent to the top of said wall, substantially as set forth.

9. ln a concrete doch or pier, the combination with a plurality of series of piling extending parallel with the shore, and driren approximately to the water level, of

concrete structure of L-shaped cross section supported between said series of piling; the same comprising an integral l-beam reinforced throughout its top and base portions, and a sub-licor reinforced at right angles to said l-beani by shear and tension members, transverse bracing walls positioned at intervals and integral with said beam and sub-floor, a suitable shoreA anchorage, and means connecting said wall and sub-floor withv the anchorage, substantially as set forth.

lO. ln a doch or pier of the class described, a shore section comprising a loaded subfloor positioned upon a suitable foundation adjacent to the water level, and an integral longitudinal Wall and transverse bracing walls all formed of concrete, shear and tension members positioned within the concrete sub-floor and bridging the foundation supports. series of reinforcing memco-exteusive with the longitudinal wall, and positioned within. the upper and lower portions thereof, a suitable shore ancliorage,i and means'connecting said integral concrete structure thereto, substantially as set forth.

ll. in a concrete pier or dock, the combination with a plurality of serie-s of piling driven substantially to the Water level, of an integral concrete structure erected thereon, comprising a sub-Hoor loaded at its shoreward edge, reinforced foundations and longitudinal walls respectively erected above each series of piling, bracing walls positioned at 'intervals therebetween, tension and shear members Within the sub-floor, diagonal tension members Within the bracing walls, tension members positioned adjacent to the outer edge of said dock, shore connections, and means for tying the shore- Ward section ofthe dock thereto, substantially asis-'et forth.

lf2. In' a reinforced concrete dock, tle combinationwith suitable sub-surface supporting means. of a load' supporting concrete floor with tension and shear members therein bridging the supporting means, a

longitudinal concrete wall integral with said floor, and reinforcing members within the upper and lower portions thereof, concrete bracing walls disposed at intervals between said wall and floor and integral with the structure thereof, whereby the concrete is availed of for compression strains, suitable shore anchorage, and connecting means uniting said dock therewith, substantially as set forth.

13. ln a reinforced concrete dock, the combination with the supporting piling, of an integral dock structure constructed thereon and inclosing or embracing the heads of the piles, metallic reinforcing members extending through the concrete structure adjacent to the'heads of said piles, additional reinforcing members disposed within the dock structure, a shore anchorage and means for attaching the dock securely thereto. substantially as set forth.

14. ln a reinforced concrete dock,.the combination with series of piling substantially parallel with the shore, of a concrete wall erected upon one series of piling, reinforcing members therein adapted to distribute the superimposed loads over said piling. an integral horizontal girder-loor extending to another series of piling, suitable reinforcing members therein, 'and means securing the structure to the shore, substantially as set forth.

l5. In a reinforced concrete dock, the combination with suitable supportingincans, of an integral concrete girder and horizontal girder-l'loo-r extending at an angle therefrom, and carried by said supporting-means, reinforcing members embedded in said girder and girder-ioor, and means securing the structure to the shore, substantially as set forth.

1G. ln a reinforced concrete doch, the combination with a series of piles positioned beneath the front of the dock, of a concrete wall erected thereon. reinforcing members embedded therein and adapted to distribute the superimposed load. shoreward supporting means, a. horizontal concrete floor integral with said wall and extending to said supporting means, reinforcing members embedded within said floor adapted to distribnte the load or impact, and means securing the structure to the shore, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cleveland in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, this 16th day of Jany. 1909.

WILLIAM S. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

Jol-1N J. DoNNELLY, 'FRANK C. GREGG. 

